Girls
by orayofsunshine
Summary: Daryl had enough to worry about, raising and chasing around a four year old, but he didn't know how much harder it would be once the dead started walking. Eventual Bethyl.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:Yay, new fic! First off, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Mary who has beta read this and fixed all of my stupid typos and helped me flesh this out. Second, this will be eventual Bethyl, but it will be kind of a slow burn soooo yeah. Third, I will be updating this every other Sunday, alternating updates with my other Bethyl fic 'Nothing to Lose', go check it out if you haven't! Okay, enough shameless self promotion, I hope you like this new fic, favorite/follow/review if you like it!**

The best thing that ever happened to Daryl Dixon was an accident. A drunk, fumbling night, with a girl whose name he didn't even remember when the hangover wore off. The sex wasn't anything spectacular really, he'd had better, but nearly nine months after that night there was a knock on the door of the little apartment he shared with his brother. It was nothing spectacular, two bedrooms that only had dingy mattresses and whatever personal items they felt the need to take with them from place to place. Other than the rooms, there was only a tiny kitchen with appliances Daryl swore were older than Merle, a living room that had a small box TV and a couch with too many beer stains to count, and a bathroom that was so small you could barely move around in. It was a real piece of crap, but it was cheap and gave them a place to rest their heads and for them that was enough.

"Daryl why the fuck is there a baby on our front step?" His brother's voice rang through their tiny apartment. Daryl shot up in bed, his head pounding from a hangover and confusion running through his veins as he all but jumped out of bed and ran to the front entrance. Sure enough, there on the dirty welcome mat was a tiny, squirming, pink baby. Wrapped in a hospital blanket, in a carrier on his front step. Attached to the top of the carrier was a piece of paper, which Daryl cautiously took off.

"Daryl, Had this 4 days ago. Her name is Harley Rose Dixon. She won't stop crying. I don't think I want to be a mama, maybe you can be a daddy. -Opal"

Daryl's jaw dropped to the floor and he dropped the note, letting it flutter harmlessly to the floor.

"Nice going Darlina." Merle snorted, elbowing him in the side before picking up the carrier and brought it inside. Daryl couldn't move, he only watched in shock as his brother pulled the baby out of her carrier and cradled her.

"She's cute, good thing she doesn't look like your ugly ass." Merle snorted, glancing up at him. "Well come on, come see your kid."

So he did. He held her, using every ounce of control he had to not cry. She was tiny and fragile with big blue eyes and a small upturned nose. He was scared shitless, over a tiny human. He had no clue how to be a daddy, he was sure to fuck it up majorly.

He managed to convince Merle, which didn't really take much because he adored the baby after only knowing of her existence for a few hours, to watch Harley while he went to Walmart to get baby things. He must've looked like an idiot standing there, looking at diapers and burp cloths like they were bombs.

"First time dad?" An employee asked with a chuckle. Daryl glanced over at the blonde girl eyeing her, before nodding slowly.

"Yeah, single dad." He answered simply. He grabbed the smallest pack of diapers and tossing them in his cart, hoping they would fit Harley. The girl, whose name was Jess according to her nametag, nodded solemnly before motioning for him to follow her up and down the aisles, throwing pacifiers and rash cream and packs of onesies in his cart. When she was done she led him up to the cash register and helped him scan all the things before punching in a code. Daryl watched at the total was cut almost in half, his eyes widening in shock.

"Employee discount," Jess explained, shoving her hands into the pockets of her khakis. "I've got a two year old at home, I wish I had someone to help me out when I was sixteen, alone, and didn't have a clue what I was doing."

Daryl shifted his weight awkwardly from foot to foot, giving her a small nod in thanks. He wasn't used to people helping him, most everyone turned their nose up to him and his brother and left them alone. He wasn't used to kindness. "Thanks, means a lot." She sent him a beaming smile to him before wishing him luck and walking off to the store.

When he got back to his apartment, he found his brother on the couch with Harley on his chest, both fast asleep. He snorted, none of the boys at the bar would believe big bad Merle Dixon was wrapped around a newborn's finger. He let them sleep while he brought the baby stuff inside and organized it as best he could. When he was done he stole the couch cushion from underneath Merle's feet and covered it was an old, but clean, quilt before setting it beside his bed.

The first night, Daryl didn't sleep a wink. He laid in his bed, watching Harley sleep and looking at every baby website he could find on his prehistoric laptop. His heart raced whenever she moved or whimpered in her sleep, wondering what was wrong. Things were going good until her little mouth opened and she started wailing. Daryl scooped her up, rocking her clumsily while he fumbled through his apartment like a bull in a china shop trying to get to the kitchen. He managed to placate her after a bottle, and she had fallen asleep against his bare shoulder before he could even finish burping her. He had to get up twice more after that, once to change her, which was an experience in itself, and once for a reason he wasn't even sure of. Merle had been cranky the next morning, complaining about how he couldn't get any sleep because of the crying, but after one glance at Harley he was putty, kissing her little face.

Every day held a new challenge for Daryl, the feeling over complete cluelessness never left, but he made due. He and Merle almost cried when she took her first steps and Merle would never let him live it down that her first word was 'Mer', which he swore was her saying his name. Daryl was convinced it was just her babbling, because even as a baby she was a chatter box. By the time she turned three their apartment had turned from junky temporary house to a slightly less junky home with a lot more pink than Daryl thought he'd ever own. Baby dolls and coloring books littered the floor, and the sound of Harley's laughter was ever present. For the first time in his life, things were good because of his little girl, but three weeks after her fourth birthday the news broadcasts started. A virus, an epidemic was spreading like wildfire. The dead had started walking and had an appetite for flesh. Daryl almost laughed, the universe just couldn't let him be happy, could it? Now, along with the usual struggle of raising a child, he had to fight to keep her safe.

Daryl was in a panic. He had only walked away for a moment, to grab his knife and skin a squirrel, leaving Harley at their makeshift table to color. When he came back she was gone, the scribbled on paper the only evidence that she had ever been there. Running his hand through his hair his keen eyes frantically scanned the camp.

"Harley!" He called, looking in all of the tents and sticking his head in the RV. She was nowhere to be found.

"What's going on, is everything alright?" Carol asked when he opened her tent.

"Can't find Harley, she ran off." Daryl answered, the panic evident in his voice. Carol's eyes grew wide and she set her book aside before crawling out of the tent to help him look.

Soon enough Lori, Andrea, Dale, Glenn, Carol and Daryl were running around the farm shouting the four year old's name. They were all thinking the worst; it was doubted that Sophia, a twelve year old, could survive alone in a forest. Little Harley wouldn't stand a chance. The thought of his little girl alone in the woods with walkers all around her made Daryl want to throw up.

Only when he saw the front door to the farmhouse swing open and Beth Greene emerge, with his daughter perched on her hip, did Daryl release the breath he didn't know he was desperately holding. He ran to her, pulling her out of Beth's arms.

"I found her!" He called to everyone before burying his face into his daughter's curly hair. Relief rushed over him, she was safe. He set her down on the ground before kneeling down to look into her eyes. "Don't you dare run off like that again Harley Rose." He scolded. She hung her head, pouting her lower lip out. He sighed, spinning her around before spanking her bottom once.

His heart cracked when she cried out in pain, memories of him crying as the belt came down across his back as a child permeating his thoughts. He shook them off though. He was not his father. Spanking was discipline, punishment for disobeying. What his father had done was abuse, no more no less. He was not his father.

"Daddy, that hurts!" She cried, turning around and backing up against the wall of the house so he couldn't spank her again. Daryl fought the urge stop, he needed to punish her for not obeying, even though he didn't want to.

"You can't run off like that Harley, you have to let me know where you're going. I thought something had got you." He explained, kneeling down to her level. Her blue eyes were glossy with tears and her bottom lip was trembling, Daryl reached out slowly, smoothing down her unruly hair before kissing her forehead.

"'M sorry daddy." She muttered, wrapping her thin arms around his waist to hug him. He hugged her back for a second before pulling away and nodding to their tent.

"Go sit in the tent 'till I come and get ya." He instructed, sending Harley off. When she was gone, he set his head in his hands and groaned. That girl was going to be the death of him.

"You handled that real well." A soft voice came from behind him. He lifted his head, looking over his shoulder to see Beth still standing at the door. "When I was around her age I wandered off in the grocery store. My mama had a fit, ran around like a chicken with its head cut off lookin' for me. She found me in the bakery section looking at the cakes. She was screaming and I got the worst spanking of my life when I got home. It hurt like hell at the time, but my mom told me she still loved me and I never walked off again."

Daryl nodded slowly, not really getting the point to the blonde's story. "Thanks for finding her." He said instead. She gave him a small smile and a shrug.

"Didn't really find her, she just wandered into the kitchen asking if we had candy. I gave her a few chocolate chips, I hope that's alright." Beth said.

Daryl chuckled, of course she was trying to weasel sugar out of the strangers. She had a sweet tooth the size of Georgia.

"Be careful, give her one, she'll see where you keep them and she'll rob you blind." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I better go talk to her, thanks again."

He walked off the porch and crossed the yard to the tent he shared with Harley, finding the tiny brunette lying face down on her Barbie sleeping bag, her tattered stuffed dog held firmly under her arm. She was sleeping and Daryl knew better than to wake her up and risk her being grumpy for the rest of the day. He settled for a kiss on the top of her head, smoothing her hair down with one hand before crawling out and zipping the tent up, letting his girl sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wowza! I was completely blown away by the response I got after just one chapter! Thank you thank you thank you to everyone that followed/favorited and left a review, every one put a smile on my face, I'm so glad everyone has liked this so far! Very very VERY special thanks to carpediem-365 for rec'ing this** on** tumblr, many happy dances ensued when I saw that. Anyways, here's an early update because I'm officially passing all of my classes now. Don't forget to leave me a review if you like! **

Ever since she could get out of her own bed, Harley always would end up sleeping in her father's. At first she was like a bull, storming across the tiny room they shared before throwing herself onto the mattress, sticking her knobby elbows and knees in his back while doing so. Daryl would wake up at her intrusion, wait quietly until she fell asleep again, then carry her across the room back to her bed. More often than not he would wake up a few hours later to her feet pitter pattering on the floor followed by her burying herself in his sheets. After awhile he just gave up on getting her to stay in her bed, but he swore one day he was going to glue her to the sheets so she would stay in bed all night. Unfortunately, the start of the apocalypse put a damper on his plan.

That morning was no exception. He woke up to Harley right up next to him, her elbow digging into his back and her breathing down the back of his neck. He glanced over his shoulder to find her awake, her mouth turning up into a toothy grin when she saw him. Daryl's heart swelled when she gave him a bright smile, showing him the little gap between her front two teeth.

"Good morning Daddy!" She exclaimed, bouncing up to sling her arms around his neck. Daryl chuckled and untangled himself from her, ruffling her already wild hair.

"How'd you get the whole forest in your hair kid?" He asked curiously, picking a leaf out of her hair. She only shrugged, the smile never disappearing from her face. Daryl assumed that it was from the day before when she had been playing with Carl. He couldn't help but notice that she was getting increasingly dirtier as the days wore on, and even though he couldn't help it much he felt like a bad father for letting her get so filthy.

Before he could say anything else Harley's head perked up from voices outside the tent and she was crawling out. Daryl rolled his eyes and grabbed her clothes for the day before following her out. He found her running to the fire in the middle of their little camp, tripping halfway. Daryl winced, fully prepared for the inevitable meltdown, but he could only chuckle when she picked herself up from the ground and kept running.

He followed her over to the fire where Carol was fussing over Harley, wiping her dirty face off with the bottom of her t-shirt. Lori stood behind her, running her hands through her tangled hair.

"Do you even know what a brush is Dixon?" Lori asked jokingly. Daryl rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Of course I do, but when the world went to hell I didn't have time to grab one." He snapped. He didn't care that Lori was just teasing him, he was fully aware of how dirty he had let his daughter get. He didn't need anyone reminding him that he couldn't properly take care of his daughter.

"Daddy, that's a bad word." Harley piped up from her spot.

"Sorry squirt." He apologized with a sigh, ruffling her hair just to spite Lori.

"You know the house has running water, I don't think Hershel would mind letting her take a bath." Carol suggested before looking down at Harley. "Who could resist this sweet little face?" She cooed, pinching her cheek lightly. Harley dissolved into a fit of giggles before squirming away from her and running to Daryl.

"Can I take a bath dad?" She asked, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. Every qualm Daryl had about asking to use their tub evaporated at her excitement her simple request

"Yeah kid, get dressed and eat some food first, then we'll go ask." He said, holding her little jean shorts out for her to take. Daryl watched as she pulled them on and fumbled with the button. He moved to help her, only to have her back away.

"I got it I got it!" She insisted. Daryl held his hands up in surrender and took a step back as Harley wrestled with the button. After struggling for a minute she finally did it, sending him a big had recently developed a need for independence, that terrified him.

After a quick breakfast Harley bounced around, tugging on Daryl's shirt in an attempt to make him move faster. Daryl chuckled, passing his plate off to Carol and getting up from his spot before Harley could stretch his shirt out. He scooped her up, holding her on his hip as he walked towards the house, hoping for the best. Hershel didn't seem too overjoyed about their presence at his farm, and Daryl wasn't sure how he was going to react to him wanting to use their bathtub.

He knocked on the door, kicking himself for being so nervous. His nerves tripled when the door open and Hershel was there, giving him a small nod in acknowledgement.

"Something wrong?" The old man asked. Daryl shook his head slowly and shifted Harley so she sat higher on his hip.

"Just a favor to ask, if it's not too much." He started hesitantly, pulling out every ounce of etiquette he possessed. "Can I give my girl a bath, It'll only take five minutes." He asked, fighting nerves off. Hershel pondered it for a minute, glancing at Harley and her dirt covered skin and matted down hair. Finally, he nodded and stepped back for them to enter the house.

"Bathroom's upstairs, second door on the right." He said. Daryl gave him a nod in thanks before setting Harley down, who promptly ran up the stairs. He followed her, finding her half naked in the bathroom, wiggling out of her t-shirt.

"Slow down kid, tub's not even full yet." He chuckled, ruffling her hair and moving around her to turn on the taps. Once there was enough water in the tub he helped Harley in, much to her dismay since she insisted she was a big girl and could do it herself.

She hadn't even been in the water a full minute before she splashed, sending water all over Daryl. When that happened, a light laugh came from the door. Harley peered around him at the sound, grinning widely at the intruder.

"Hi Miss Beth!" She greeted happily. The blonde was leaning against the door frame, a look of amusement on her face at Daryl's wet shirt. "I'm taking a bath!"

"You sure are, and it looks like you're giving your dad one too." She said. Daryl snorted and rolled his eyes before turning to the bottles of soap in the shower.

"She doesn't get that the water's supposed to stay in the tub." He muttered, pushing Harley's shoulder back so she could get her hair wet. He was almost ashamed of how dirty the water had gotten after her being in there just a few minutes.

"Bath time used to be a nightmare when I was little. My parents would get all three of us in at the same time, by the time we were all clean my mom and dad had more water on them than we did." Beth said, walking into the bathroom and sitting down on the floor next to him. She reached across the tub and moved two bottles next to him before leaning back to get a rag from underneath the sink.

"These won't burn her eyes." She explained before settling down on the floor again.

"One time, I asked my daddy if I could take a bath with him but he said no." Harley rambled as he started to scrub her hair, the suds turning to a light brown color the more he lathered. She pulled away from him just enough to lean forward to Beth. "He's got different parts." She whispered loudly, like she was sharing a secret. Daryl felt him face go hot in embarrassment, making a mental note to teach her what it meant to have a filter. She had always been one to say what was on her mind, something his brother had taught her.

"Does he now?" Beth played along, obviously holding in laughter. The four year old opened her mouth again, probably saying something equally humiliating, but Daryl intervened.

"Enough Harley, Beth don't wanna hear that." He scolded, pulling her over to him so he could wash her hair out. She stuck her bottom lip out, jutting out her bottom lip out in protest.

"Gotta be careful with her, you'll hear all sorta things you don't wanna know." Daryl said to Beth, who was dipping a rag into the bath water. The teen chuckled and squirted some soap onto the rag before handing it to Daryl.

"I don't mind, she's a trip." She ran her hand over the four year old's clean hair affectionately. Daryl watched as she helped him bathe his daughter, going along with whatever wacky conversation she started with ease, and he couldn't help but be happy about it. Harley never had a huge female influence in her life, being abandoned by her mother at birth and being raised by two men. Neither him or his brother had been into dating, so usually the only women Harley saw were the girls that Merle had over. Now, there was Lori, Carol, Andrea, and now Beth who constantly coddled her. She was steadily becoming more and more spoiled because of it, but Daryl couldn't find it in himself to complain.

"Beth?" A voice came from the door. They both turned around, looking at the source. Jimmy, Beth's boyfriend, was standing in the doorway wearing a puzzled expression. "What're you doin'?"

She shrugged, turning to give Harley a big smile. "Helpin' give her a bath, anything wrong with that?" She asked, shifting back to look at Jimmy and raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, no, I guess not. Your dad wants to see you though." He said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Beth sighed and nodded, standing up while wiping her hands on her jeans.

"Okay, tell him I'll be down in a second." She said. Jimmy nodded once before disappearing down the hallways. "Thanks for letting me help with her, I love children."

"No problem, she likes ya." Daryl shrugged it off, it was true. He knew most of it was because Beth was constantly sneaking the girl sweets, but he turned a blind eye to it. Giving him one last friendly smile, Beth turned on her heel and started out of the bathroom. "Wait, Beth." He stopped her, she spun around with a curious look.

"Yeah?"

"I'm goin' out later to look for Sophia, do you think you could keep an eye on her?" He asked, picking at a stray thread jeans to avoid eye contact. "I mean, Carol's busy worryin' about Sophia and Lori's got her own t' look after-"

"You don't have to explain Daryl, she's not a bother, really. Just drop her off when you're 'bout to leave, okay?" The blonde said before walking out of the bathroom. Daryl quickly finished bathing Harley, only managing to get soap in her eyes once, an impressive feat for him. Once he had dried his daughter off, getting himself soaked in the process, he sat back as she tugged on clothes that were slightly less filthy than the ones she had been wearing. He ran his fingers through her thin hair, earning a few whines of protest when they snagged on a knot. Even though her hair was a mess, Daryl decided that for now there was nothing he could do and pulled it back into a sloppy, uneven ponytail.

He almost screamed when she dove head first into the dirt the second she was outside.

Everything hurt, his body burned with pain every little move he made. His head was pounding from the bullet that had grazed it and his side was pulsing from the arrow that had impaled him. He couldn't remember much between the time he was shot and the time he got into the farmhouse, only that he had mumbled to keep Harley away. He couldn't bear the thought of her seeing him so injured, so he was thankful that Maggie had relayed the message onto Beth.

Hershel had stitched him up, thankfully not asking about all of the scars that covered his body. The tug and sting of the needle running through his skin paled in comparison to the universal pain in his body, but it still made him grit his teeth in pain. Once he was finished, Hershel cleaned up the bloody rags and gave him orders to rest. He didn't need to be told twice, and it wasn't long before he let sleep pull him under.

Daryl woke when the door to the room creaked open, followed by the familiar _thump thump thump_ of tiny feet across the hardwood. He grinned, regretting it a moment later when the simple action pulled at the wound on his head.

"Is he awake?" Harley whispered loudly to whoever had brought her in.

"I dunno, but let's be real careful with him, alright?" He heard Beth replied as the bed dipped next to him. He opened his eyes slowly, finding Harley's worried face just inches from his.

"Hey squirt, you been good for Beth?" He asked, lifting his hand up to ruffle her hair, which was now brushed out and in neat little curls. It was a stark difference to the matted down mess it had been that morning, and his heart grew getting a glance of what she had looked like before the world went to hell. He glanced up to the blonde, giving her a small nod in courtesy.

"She was perfect, a little angel." Beth replied, a fond smile spreading over her face as she watched the little girl trace the tattoo over his heart. Daryl snorted, rolling his eyes, she wouldn't think that if she had seen Harley during her terrible two's. She could've been the poster child for "World's Worst Child", but he would've been right next to her with the title of "World's Shittiest Father".

"Her devil horns are holdin' up the halo." He chuckled, hissing in pain a second later when Harley pressed down on gash the arrow had made in his side. Seeing his pain, Beth quickly scooped her up off of the bed, the pain instantly alleviating.

"I think it's your bedtime Miss Harley, how'd you feel sleeping in my room tonight?" The teenager asked, perching Harley on her hip and tapping her nose gently. She did what Daryl would describe as a squeal, high-pitched enough that only dogs could hear it before nodding quickly. He shook his head, forcing himself to sit up but taking the blankets with him to keep his chest covered.

"You don't got to do that, she can sleep in here or in the RV or some-"

"Nuh uh, no sir." Beth cut him off, shaking her head back at him. "You need to rest and you aren't going to having to worry about her. I'm going to keep an eye on her until you're back on your feet, no buts. Now, tell your dad goodnight and give him a kiss Harley."

"G'night Daddy." She mumbled when Beth leaned down to let her give him a quick peck. "Love you."

"Love ya too darlin', see ya in the morning." He ruffled her hair up one last time before Beth lifted her away from him. "Thanks again Beth."

Beth gave him a small nod before walking around the bed to the door, stopping in the doorway to smile at him. "Night Daryl." With those words she left the room, flipping the light off and closing the door while she went, cloaking him in darkness and letting sleep claim him again.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am constantly blown away with how much people like this, thank you SO much, it means the world to me. Here's chapter 3, I'm not entirely happy with it, but maybe y'all will like it more than I do. If you like it, drop me a review and leave your thoughts, favorite/follow if you want :)**

It had been a normal morning, Daryl's side was healing and he finally was out of that damn bed. He had always been restless, being bedridden and unable to help with the search, did not help.) Beth had been adamant on keeping him resting until he was fully healed. Harley had done a good job of keeping him entertained by talking non-stop about what she had been doing with Beth and reciting her newly learned abc's over and over again until the stupid song was stuck in his head.

They had been sitting around the fire eating quietly, Daryl in a chair with Harley on his lap, spilling half of her food on him before it could make it to her mouth. He wanted to tell her to be more careful, but he knew she would insist that she was before going back to eating like a pig. He just thanked anyone upstairs that they were eating scrambled eggs instead of something messy like spaghetti. He settled for brushing the food off of his jeans before wiping her mouth with the back of his hand while Glenn stood up and made his way to the middle of their camp.

"Um guys" He said nervously, getting everyone's attention. "So, the barn's full of walkers."

Daryl's head snapped up as his blood ran cold. Harley wasn't oblivious to the ongoing apocalypse, she knew vaguely of the threat that surrounded them, but that didn't stop Daryl from trying to keep her away from them. He couldn't believe that the deadly threat was a hundred yards from where they slept at night, that they had been right under their noses for weeks and he didn't even know. Beth had even taken Harley past the barn when she was watching her on the way to see their chickens. The thought of her doing that knowing that there was walkers around made his blood boil.

"Stay here Har." He ordered, setting his plate on the ground before standing up and placing Harley in the chair. "Behave yourself, I'll be back in a minute."

He heard Rick calling him but Daryl ignored it as he made his way to where Beth was doing laundry in the lawn, far away from the house that no one would hear him talking. She looked up when he got to her, sending him a big, friendly smile. Daryl sent her a glare, making her expression drop.

"What's up Daryl? Somethin' the matter?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion at his attitude.

"Yeah, the matter is you've been takin' my little girl around the barn when it's full of walkers." He seethed, feeling like he could spit nails. Beth's face fell and went pale, if that was even possible with her fair skin.

"There's a lock on the door, they've been there since this started. They're just sick is all. But if your'e worried I'll keep her away..." She insisted, standing up to his level and rolling her eyes as if it was no big deal. Daryl scoffed, it was obvious she hadn't left the farm since the Turn.

"You crazy girl? They ain't sick, they're dead and all they want is to tear anything that moves to shreds and eat 'em." He said, throwing his hands in the air. "You ever been huntin'? The hunter always goes for the easy target, the small weak ones. In this world, walkers are the hunters. You know what the prey is?"

Beth stared at him with wide, scared blue eyes. She shook her head slowly, taking a small step back from him. He was frightening her, but Daryl didn't care. This was Harley they were talking about, his most prized item left on the godforsaken planet. He'd be damned if he let her get away with what she did.

"_We're _the prey Beth, and that kid," He pointed over to the camp. "_My_ kid, is the easy target. You took her somewhere that could get her killed-" Beth groaned in exasperation, running a hand through her hair.

"Nothing happened Daryl! She's fine-"

"She's my daughter!" He yelled, cutting her off. "She's my fuckin' world and you put her in danger after I trusted you with her!"

"It won't happen again." Beth whispered, all out of back talk. Her eyes glossy with tears and her voice quivering as she spoke.

"It sure as hell won't happen again, you ain't gonna watch her anymore." He scoffed. "Hell, you'll be lucky if I even let you look at her after this."

The teenager's shoulders started to shake as she hung her head and buried her face in her palms. Without waiting for her answer Daryl turned on his heel and stomped away back towards the group, who was in a frenzy because of the discovery. Everyone was yelling, shouting their opinions and thoughts on what they should do. Daryl was still seeing red after arguing with Beth, his anger consuming him so much he hardly noticed the tug on his jeans.

"Daddy?" Harley asked, her blue eyes wide and curious. "Do we gotta go 'cause of the walkers?"

Daryl could only sigh and squat down to her level, she was just as tired of running as everyone else. He wanted to find a place for her to grow up and get some normality, but they way the world was they were constantly on the run and living in one place was dangerous.

"I don't know kid." He said honestly. "We'll figure something out, I promise. For now you gotta stay here in camp, no more wandering around and no more playing with Beth."

Harley started to pout at his orders, sending him a pouted lip and puppy dog eyes. "But I like playing with Miss Beth."

"Sorry darlin', I'll see if I can find you a new toy or somethin' on the next run. How's that sound?" He offered, hoping the promise of a new doll would placate her. When her frown turned to a bright smile he let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. Knowing she wasn't going to wander, a bad habit of hers, gave him one less thing to worry about.

Shane had lost it. Daryl had never trusted him, he was nothing more than a power hungry bastard, jealous of living in Rick's shadow. Now, he was yelling like a lunatic, shooting the walker Hershel had tethered to a long pole. Daryl was on high alert, constantly glancing over his shoulder to where Harley was with Lori, looking more frightened than she had her entire life. He gave her an encouraging nod, hoping she knew that everything would be alright, even if he didn't believe it himself.

When Daryl turned around Rick was yelling and Shane was beating on the doors of the barn, taunting the dead inside. Time seemed to stand still when the doors were pushed open and walkers hobbled out towards them in search of food. He started shooting, putting down every walker that got too close, only glancing over his shoulder once to see Harley with her hands pressed tightly over her ears and her eyes squeezed shut.

When the shots finally stopped, a tense silence spread over the group, the only sound being Beth's soft cries from behind him. Daryl relaxed slightly, but it wasn't over with. A soft growl coming from the barn sent him into fighting mode again, prepared to put down anything else that was thrown at him. What he didn't expect, was to see Sophia stagger out of the barn, her skin dirty and pale and her eyes blank. The little girl snarled at them, shuffling over the twice dead bodies. He lowered his gun and felt like he had been hit with a ton of bricks.

Carol's cry of grief brought him back to his senses as she ran past him. He grabbed her arm, pulling her to him before collapsing onto the ground with her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Another, smaller, person darted past him running towards Sophia.

"Sophie!" Harley exclaimed gleefully, not understanding what danger she was putting herself in. All she knew was that her friend had been found as she sprinted towards her.

"No Harley stop!" Daryl yelled frantically as Sophia reached out for her as she got closer. Daryl's heart pounded, feeling helpless. At the last second T-Dog lunged forward, grabbing her and holding her away from the walker. The four year old put up a struggle against him, kicking her legs and hitting him with her tiny fists, shouting for him to put her down.

When Rick held the gun up and pulled the trigger, Harley went still as she watched Sophia fall to the ground. Daryl held his hands over Carol's eyes as her daughter was put down, only to have her push him away and run away towards the camp. Everyone was silent, mourning everyone they had lost. Daryl pulled himself up from the ground and made his way over to where T-Dog was still holding onto Harley, who was almost as white as a sheet.

"Thanks for getting her man." Daryl mumbled as he pulled his daughter from his arms. The other man only nodded in response, obviously shocked as everyone else.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Sophie?" Harley asked, her voice soft and innocent. "Why isn't she moving?"

"She's dead sweetheart." Daryl sighed, rubbing her back slowly as she set her head on his shoulder.

"When's she gonna wake up?" His heart cracked at her question, but he could only shake his head in response. She didn't know any better.

"It's not like a nap baby, she isn't going to wake up." He answered, wondering how the hell he was supposed to explain the messed up world they lived in to a child without completely ruining her in the process.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: *hides underneath a blanket* I'm so sorry I didn't update for almost two weeks I've been busy but hey, I made time for updating (instead of writing my two overdue papers...oops.) anyways, thank you so so SO much to everyone who has favorites and followed (79 followers, wowza! I honestly never expected that) Also, thanks to everyone has commented too, they make me smile, keep 'em coming! Okay, enough of my rambling, here's chapter four! **

Beth had never seen so many walkers in one place. They were everywhere, a dark sea of rotting bodies, moaning and snapping their jaws as they hobbled towards the house. She watched as her sister and T-Dog weaved through the herd in cars, picking off the undead one by one. It was overwhelming though, as soon as one was down there was three more to take it's place. Their effort was worthless, there were just too many of them.

"We need to go." Carol said, grabbing her arm and tugging her towards the steps. Tears threatened to fall as she held tight onto Patricia's hand, only to have her tugged backwards. Looking over her shoulder, Beth watched as a walker viciously tore into her friend's neck while two others ripped into her arms. She screamed in pain and held onto Beth's hand tightly while Lori pulled Beth towards the car.

"Beth let go!" She demanded, finally getting her hand free. Tears blurred her vision as she run for the car when a light coming from the upstairs window caught her eye.

"Wait, I gotta go back!" Beth shouted, pulling her arm free from Lori's grasp.

"No, that's a death wish, I'm not letting you go back." She said as Carol climbed into Otis's truck. Beth shook her head, taking a step back.

"Harley's still inside, I've gotta go get her, I'll meet you at the road." She said before turning on her heel and running back into the herd of walkers towards the house. They lunged and lurched at her, the overwhelming stench of decaying flesh filling her nose and making her gag.

The house was empty and quiet when she went inside, stopping in the kitchen to get the biggest knife they owned before running up the stairs two at a time to get to her bedroom. She found Harley there, sleeping soundly on the bed, completely oblivious to what was going on outside. Beth shook her awake gently, looking over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure she wasn't being followed. Harley woke up slowly, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Harley, come on, we gotta go." Beth whispered, pulling her out of bed. She wasn't wearing shoes or pants, only underwear and an oversized shirt that belonged to Daryl, so Beth wrapped her up in a fleece blanket before resting her on her hip.

"What's wrong? Where's my daddy?" Harley asked.

"Everything's gonna be okay, we're just going on an adventure." Beth said, hoping that she was right in saying everything was okay. "I need you to hold onto me and close your eyes until I say so, alright?"

Harley nodded and buried her face into her shoulder, which was Beth's cue to leave the room and take off down the stairs. Keeping Harley close to her side with one arm, she held the large knife in her other hand so tightly her knuckles went white.

When she went outside the only thing she could see or hear was the walkers, she couldn't hear the sound of gunfire and car engines. The walkers immediately noticed her and started shambling towards her on unsteady feet. Beth took off running in the opposite direction towards the road, hoping that once she was there the fences would help keep them away. She didn't even see the walker that came up behind her and gripped onto the blanket that held Harley, ripping her out of her arms. It reached out for the child, it jaws snapping and biting at her. The four year old screamed, tears running down her round cheeks.

"No!" Beth screamed. She had lost enough people already, she wasn't about to lose her too. Taking the knife she used all of her strength to plunge it down into the base of the walkers skull, sending blood all over her and Harley. She pulled the knife from its head and pushed it away before scooping the sobbing little girl up and continuing towards the road, leaving the blanket behind.

When she reached the road she heard the sound of an engine before a beam of light washed over the two them.

"What the hell are you waitin' for, get on!" Daryl yelled at her, pulling his bike up next to them and stopping only long enough for Beth to straddle the bike. He took off into the night, leaving the herd and her home behind until all she could see was a dot of orange that was the remnants of the barn.

They drove for hours, Daryl dodging walkers while Beth held Harley and cried into her soft hair. Both girls were shaking from the cold and fear, but they didn't dare complain. They were alive, that was good enough. When they saw the familiar car swerving on the road Beth started crying again, a weight lifting from her chest at the thought of everyone making it out alive.

Daryl held his hand up in acknowledgement as he passed, pointing forward to signal where he was heading. Soon they were on the highway, weaving through the graveyard of abandoned cars, stopping when they caught sight of Rick. Beth climbed off of the bike with unsteady legs, shaking from adrenaline and the rumbling engine. Daryl steadied her, grasping her forearm briefly with one hand while he scooped Harley up with the other, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

Once she was convinced she wouldn't fall over if she tried to move, Beth was running towards where Maggie and her dad were hugging, throwing her arms around her father's waist. They talked about who they had lost, bringing more tears to her eyes, even though she thought she couldn't cry anymore. Then she noticed Jimmy wasn't there. She hadn't been dating him that long before the turn, barely two months when he had showed up at their front door sobbing that his parents had been attacked. Having no other family to go to, Hershel took him in with open arms. He was a good boyfriend, never pushing her further than she wanted, even though he could be extremely overprotective most of the time. That didn't matter though, because he was gone.

Maggie held her in the car, letting her cry into her shoulder at the loss of her boyfriend, best friend, and the only home she had even known. She lifted her head up when she felt something being set on her lap. Beth looked down at the stuffed dog that was staring up at her. Sniffling and wiping tears away, she looked over to Harley who was in Glenn's lap.

"Spot makes the sad go away." She said solemnly. Beth managed a smile down to her, running a hand over her tangled hair affectionately.

"Thank you for sharing, I feel better already." She said, picking the toy up and giving it a squeeze. In response Harley gave her a big beaming smile, which really did make her feel better, even if it was just a little.

Later that night on the freezing ground, long after everyone else had gone to sleep, Beth sat awake thinking of everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours. She had lost everything except her father, sister, and her life. All of her things were left to the walkers or whoever would eventually stumble upon it and loot it for anything valuable. She had killed a walker, someone who was once a person with a life and a family. She had actually _killed_ something, and that is what shook her to her core.

"You should sleep ya know." A rough voice came from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to where Daryl was laying close to the fire, Harley sleeping on his chest with his leather vest draped over her, the material swallowing her so all you could see was her head and feet sticking out.

"Can't." Beth replied, turning around to face him. She rested her chin on top of her knees, hugging them close to her chest. "You should be sleeping too."

"Yeah, probably should." He went quiet for a minute, adjusting his pack behind his head to get more comfortable. "I gotta thank you though, for gettin' her out. She wouldn'ta made it out on her own."

Beth snorted, kicking a few dead leaves around with the toe of her boot. "Anyone woulda done it, it's not like I did a good job of it either. One almost got her, ripped her right out my arms."

"I didn't see no one else runnin' into that shit storm after her." He said. "And that don't matter, ya'll both made it in one piece."

Beth only shrugged in response before stretching out and resting her head on top of Maggie's stomach. "I'd do it a thousand times over if it meant she'd be safe. I don't like losing people."

"Neither do I." Daryl agreed. "Now get 't sleep girl, can't have you draggin' your feet and bein' walker food."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Whoop new update, this is probably my favorite chapter so far. Also, I have over 100 followers on this story now! WOW! Thank you so much, it means a lot. **

**Piper the guest brought something to my attention. Time had passed between chapter three when Daryl told Beth to stay away from Harley and chapter four when Beth saves her. In the show, everyone had moved from the camp outside to inside the farmhouse for the winter. The way I was thinking it would play out (Im so sorry for not explaining this enough in the chapter) was that Carol or Lori would have been watching over Harley and since it was already dark when the walkers attacked, Harley would have already been asleep and maybe Beth offered for her to rest in her bed instead of a chair or the couch until Daryl got back doing whatever Daryl's do. Then when they had to leave, Lori was so distraught not knowing where Rick or Carl was that she completely forgot about Harley. Then Beth goes and saves her and yadda yadda. I know Daryl didnt want Beth around his daughter, but at the time he was angry and scared for her life so he took out his frustrations by yelling at Beth. By the time ch.4 rolled around, his anger is kinda gone and the threat of the walkers in the barn is gone too. Beth definitely earns his respect and trust back after she risks her life by going back for Harley AND killing a walker (which she stills sees as people).**

**Okay, I hoped that's all cleared up, again, my bad for doing such a blunt time skip and not adressing that enough. I hope this chapter is better, leave a review and let me know what you think! (Also, five days until TWD starts back, someone flail with me) **

Winter had hit them full force, colder than it had been in years. Georgia rarely got below thirty degrees, but when Daryl glanced at the thermostat on the porch it read twenty five, shocking him. He was shivering, even underneath three jackets and two quilts that the woman had pestered him about using while on watch. Inside wasn't much warmer, but it was bearable if you stayed close to the fireplace. If he had to guess, it was probably around December, Daryl was just thankful that he had gotten the afternoon watch. That time of day was a little bit warmer than the morning or night.

They had been in the little house for about a week, solely because it was too cold to go anywhere else. They had stayed too long in Daryl's opinion, but it did provide much needed rest for the group. Glancing over his shoulder, Daryl peered through the windows into the house where everyone was laying around in the living room. The first night they had been there he had helped Rick and Glenn drag the three mattresses down into the main room where it would be warmer and they would be able to be together if things went wrong.

In his opinion, the best part about the house was the excess of toys that filled one of the rooms. The room was an ugly shade of pepto bismol pink and almost every wall was covered in toys, but Harley had squealed when he showed her, immediately darting into the room and picking up as many Barbie dolls as she could fit into her little arms. All she had done the past week was play with the Barbie dream-house, roping everyone else in on the game.

The front door swung open and Daryl didn't even have to turn around to know who it was, the little footfalls gave it away. He couldn't help but grin as Harley climbed onto his lap and buried herself in the blankets.

"Hey kid." He greeted with a chuckle, pulling the knit beanie she was wearing down to cover her ears more. "What're you doin' out here, isn't someone supposed 't be watchin' you?"

"Miss Lori started cryin', so I snuck away." She answered, her eyes bright with mischief. Daryl snorted, the pregnant woman's mood swings hit almost as hard as the cold, which was partially why Daryl offered to take watch so much. "Daddy?"

"Yeah Har?" He looked down at her to find her staring up at him curiously, her little round nose already red from the cold. He took his hand out from underneath the blankets and put it on her cheek to warm her face up before she spoke again.

"Why is Miss Lori's belly gettin' so big, is she fat?" Harley asked innocently. Daryl snorted, failing miserably at trying to keep his laughter in.

"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" He laughed, pinching her nose gently. The child started giggling in response, squirming out of Daryl's lap to waddle around the porch with one hand on her stomach and the other on her back, much like Lori did. Daryl was howling with laughter watching his child mock the woman who was often jumping on his last nerve.

"Shame on you Daryl Dixon." The soft voice of Beth Greene met his ears. He turned his head to her, still chuckling.. Beth was standing by the door, bundled up in the dingy aztec patterned poncho they had found on a laundry line a few weeks before. Daryl knew she was only teasing him, something she grew more and more comfortable doing as the days passed. He knew that she was almost as sick of Lori's mood swings and constant whining as he was, but of course she made it a little less obvious than he did. "Lettin' her make fun of a pregnant woman." She tutted, padding across the porch to sit on the railing, scooping Harley up and settling her in her lap.

"What does prenant mean?" The little girl asked while she absentmindedly played with the fabric of the poncho. Beth chuckled at her mispronunciation and wrapped her up in the fabric.

"It means she has a baby in her belly." She explained. Daryl chuckled when Harley looked down to her hands, processing the new information and nodding thoughtfully. He stopped when she opened her mouth again and asked a new, more awkward question.

"How'd the baby get in her tummy?" Beth's face seemed to go paler than usual at the question while Daryl felt all the blood in his body rush to his cheeks.

"Uh, well, when a mommy loves a daddy very much they have a very special...kiss?" Beth finished the last part as a question, looking at Daryl for backup. He was panicking because of her explanation, praying to any and every deity he could think of that Harley wouldn't ask the question he was dreading. Of course, things couldn't go his way.

"If the mommy and daddy loves each other, why don't I got a momma?" She asked, her big blue eyes full of curiosity and sadness. Beth felt her heart drop, sending Daryl a desperate look. He could only bury his head in his hands and sigh in shame.

"Why don't you head inside Harley, see if Glenn'll play dolls with ya." He suggested. When she started to protest, he only shook his head and pointed to the door. "Now Harley Rose, don't make me ask again."

Sticking her bottom lip out, Harley huffed and slid out of Beth's lap, stomping across the porch. Daryl almost scolded her for her attitude, but she was already inside before he could, slamming the front door behind her. Beth winced at the loud sound, and the echo that followed it. Daryl sighed, hanging his head again. That wasn't the first time she had asked about her mother, and he didn't have the heart or the words to tell her that her mother hadn't wanted her.

"What was that about?" Beth asked, her voice soft and cautious. If it had been anyone else, he would have flipped her the bird and told her to piss off, that it was none of her business, but with her it was different. Since the night the farm fell and she had risked her life to save Harley and going against everything she had been taught to kill a walker, they had become unlikely acquaintances. She would go so far as to call them friends.

"She gets upset because her mom ain't in the picture." He mumbled into his hands. Beth nodded slowly, resting her elbows on her knees and setting her head in her palms.

"Is she dead, is that why?" She pried gently, hoping she wasn't overstepping her boundaries. She had always assumed that Harley's mom had died at the start of the apocalypse, but she had always been too scared of Daryl lashing out at her to ask. Her curiosity only grew when her shrugged.

"I dunno, probably. Only met the woman once, and then I was too drunk to do anythin' 'sides drop my pants." He snorted un-amused and shifted in a weak attempt to make the hard wood of the porch more comfortable to sit on. "I didn't even know Harley existed until she was dropped on my doorstep nine months later. Bitch didn't even have the decency to tell me until I had a kid until she wasn't her problem anymore."

"Oh." Beth said simply, dropping her gaze from Daryl to her hands.

"Yeah, ain't no easy way to tell your kid they're from a one night stand." He sighed before looking around her to the long driveway. He groaned in frustration and rolled his eyes, grabbing his crossbow from the ground beside him. He stood up and grabbed her forearm, pulling her off of the railing and towards the door. She only had to glance over her shoulder to see what the problem was, the herd of walkers hobbling down the road was enough explanation. The cold had made their flesh freeze, slowing them down enough so they had more time to escape, but the walkers were still as lethal and dangerous as ever.

"Everyone get your shit, there's a big pack of geeks comin' this way. They must've heard the door slam, sent 'em all this way" He said urgently when he got inside, grabbing his bag from where it laid by the door fully packed for whenever they would inevitably have to run. Everyone stared at him blankly for a second, processing what he had said before jumping into action, putting out the fire and throwing their food, extra blankets and clothes into bags. Daryl left the main room to get Harley, finding her on the bed in the pink room surrounded by stuffed animals, Spot the dog tucked underneath her arm.

"We gotta go Harley." He said, taking a step into the room.

"No, I don't wanna." She huffed, sticking her tongue out before turning her back to him. He rolled his eyes, she had definitely inherited the Dixon stubbornness.

"I ain't gonna argue with you kid," He crossed the room in a few strides and picked her up easily, holding her close despite her feet kicking at him. "We're goin' whether you want to or not."

When he got back into the living room, everyone else was heading out the door, hands grasping knives and guns.

"Straight to the cars, we'll move on a bit and find a place to camp before nightfall." Rick ordered, keeping one hand on Lori's back as he ushered her out. Daryl nodded, holding his hand over Harley's mouth as he walked outside. The last thing he needed was for her to cause more noise and attract more walkers. Unfortunately, this only angered her more, sending her into a full blown temper tantrum.

Jogging to the car, he removed his hand from over her mouth before handing her off to Beth with Harley was still screaming and kicking her legs in protest.

"I hate you Daddy!" She hollered, kicking her leg at him and hitting him in the rib. The blow didn't hurt nearly as much as he words did. He stood stunned for a second and watched as Beth's hand flew down to smack Harley's bottom once.

"No ma'am!" The teenager scolded. Sending an apologetic look his way, Beth sighed and tugged her poncho over her head before tossing it to him. "Take it and go, you'll need it more than I do on that bike."

Nodding once, he pulled it over his head and jogged towards his bike, feeling like his heart had been ripped out and eaten by walkers as the words 'I hate you' played over and over in his head like a broken record.

They drove for a while, Daryl felt like he was on autopilot as he maneuvered around debris and abandoned cars as they searched for a new place to stay. Eventually they stopped at an old bed and breakfast that had been abandoned long before the turn, and Daryl made quick work of drawing his crossbow, probably much harder than he needed to.

"You alright Daryl? I can't let you go in if you don't have a level head." Rick said cautiously, coming up beside him. The hunter only rolled his eyes and situated the bolt in the bow before lofting it up, ready to shoot.

"I'm fine, let's just get this done." He huffed, going into the main building in search of a room key. Inside, there was a layer of dust that covered every surface and the air smelled stale. Light filtered in through the dirty window, illuminating the room enough for the duo to navigate through it, pilfering for useful items and a room key. Daryl didn't really think it was necessary, he could have kicked a door in just as easily, but that would have been loud which was something they didn't need.

"Harley was a mess the entire ride." Rick said as he walked around the front desk, rifling through the drawers. Daryl's ears perked up and he glanced up at the ex-cop.

"She wasn't bein' bad was she, her temper can scare the devil himself." He said, only half joking. Some of the fits she had pitched really had scared him, Daryl never thought a kid was capable of screaming and stomping their feet loud enough to get noise complaints until he had seen it himself.

"Nah," Rick replied, shaking his head slowly. "When we first left she was cryin' from the spankin' she got, then Beth started talkin' about how she shouldn't hit or kick and that she needed to be quiet and after that she was cryin' because she was upset. She's good with her, Beth is."

"Yeah, she is, better than any other girl that's been in her life." He snorted, thinking back to all of the women Merle had brought home, most of them scantily clad and drunk or high. Daryl always made sure Harley was in his room or asleep when they got there, but she had caught more than one woman sneaking out the next morning while she ate cheerios on the couch. He chuckled at the memories of her asking his brother who his friend was before rummaging through a bookshelf while adding, "Better than me, too."

"Nah, you're a good father. I can't tell you how many times Carl's told me he hated me over stupid stuff like takin' naps and havin' to eat his vegetables." Rick chuckled. "She didn't mean it, trust me."

Dary sighed, letting his shoulders drop and his head rest on the wall. He had messed up more times raising her than there were walkers on the planet. He wished he could believe what his friend was telling him, but it was hard. Daryl had no idea what he the hell was doing half the time.

"You find a key?" He asked, done talking about the subject. Rick shuffled around the desk for another moment before nodding and holding up the object in question before nodding towards the door.

"You get the others and I'll find this room?" He suggested. Daryl nodded and made his way towards the car. The door was open before he could reach it and everyone filed out, it kind of reminded him of clowns coming out of a tiny car, seeing as how they managed to fit ten people into a car designed for seven.

Daryl stood awkwardly in the middle of the parking lot, his bow by his side as Beth stepped out of the car with Harley on her hip, the four year old's thumb in her mouth and her head resting on Beth's shoulder. She slowly made her way over to him, a small smile gracing her face.

"Miss Harley, I believe you have somethin' you need to say to your daddy." She said softly, turning her head to look down at her. Harley sighed, pouting her lip as she pulled her thumb from her mouth. Beth chuckled, "Remember, we talked about it in the car?"

"I'sorry." The four year old mumbled, her little bottom lip trembling. Daryl hoped she wouldn't cry, he lost all of his resolve when she cried.

"For?" Beth prompted quietly, rubbing her back softly.

"For kickin' you and slammin' the door and fussin' and sayin' I hate you." Harley said, her eyes getting more and more glossy as she went on. Daryl couldn't help but smile at the apology, holding his hands out to take her from Beth.

"It's alright Squirt, come 'ere." He said, pulling her into a tight hug and kissing the top of her head. "Let's get ya inside, you got Spot?"

Harley giggled and nodded, holding up the shabby stuffed animal for her dad to see. Daryl smiled, scratching the dog's head just to humor her before turning and going towards the room everyone was going into, their new temporary home.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: *passes out rocks and rotten tomatoes for ya'll to throw at me* I am SO sorry that it has taken me so long to update. I've recently taken up a bunch of commitment with different dance things and most of my time is taken by those things. Also, I'm kind of in my most important year of highschool and am trying to get my grades up and improve my GPA so I can (hopefully) get into my first choice college when I start applying next fall. Anyways, I know these are just a bunch of excuses but I promise I will NEVER go this long without updating again. I hope this was worth the wait, I certainly like it a lot! **

**Warning: Extreme Bethyl fluff ahead. **

Beth was wary about the promise of safety the prison held. Every place they had stayed in that winter had been a false sanctuary. Herds seemed to have been chasing them around Georgia, ones larger than the one that took the farm. They were all road weary and exhausted, and Lori was getting bigger each day, it was no secret that she would have the baby soon. Fear and loss had taken the place of happiness more often than not, and Beth didn't know how much longer she could keep a positive attitude.

They were huddled around their tiny fire, eating a small dinner in silence. Beth sighed, setting her empty bowl aside as Harley dozed in her lap, her thumb in her mouth and Spot curled under her arm protectively. Her whole of food sat untouched on the grass and Beth knew if she didn't eat it soon it would get cold and become food for the bugs. The four year old was fighting to stay awake, it was obvious, so Beth shook her gently to make her sit up.

"Can you eat a little supper for me? You can go to bed right after, I know you're sleepy." She said, smoothing the little girl's dirty hair out as best she could. Beth hoped that the showers worked inside the prison, she was sick of having to bathe in rivers and streams, everyone was.

"M'kay." Harley mumbled with a yawn, taking the bowl from Beth's hands and started picking at it, every so often taking a bite.

"You're a natural." Maggie complimented from beside her with a smile on her face. "You were made to be a mother."

"Maybe, but I don't think I could ever bring a child into this world." Beth sighed, turning away from her sister to look into the fire. "Good thing I got Harley though." She smiled, looking down to her and kissing the top of her head.

"You treat her as if she's your own." Hershel said, watching the way his youngest was acting towards Harley. He had kept an eye on the two of them all winter, watching as Beth slowly fell in love with the child. She had always been the nurturing type by working in the nursery at their church and talking about being a teacher after college. Beth loved children, and it didn't take long for her to be completely wrapped around Harley's little finger.

"Is there anything wrong with that daddy?" Beth asked curiously, looking up at him with a furrowed brow. Hershel sighed, resting his hand on Beth's knee.

"I just don't want you to get upset if somethin' ever happens to her or her father. Another day is never guaranteed Bethy." He said honestly. Beth's face fell at the thought of Harley getting hurt, it made her feel sick. She had already almost lost her once the night the farm got overrun, and she still had nightmares about it. Beth couldn't bear the thought of something like that happening again.

"Don't talk like that, it ain't good for you or anyone else." She whispered, noticing that Harley had gone limp in her arms again, drifting off to sleep again. "Wanna go say night to your dad before you go to sleep?" Harley nodded sleepily, yawning quietly before holding her arms up for Beth to carry her. Grabbing a plate they had set aside for Daryl, Beth hoisted Harley up higher on her hip as she made her way around the twice dead bodies that littered the field to get to where Daryl was taking watch.

"Hey, can you come down here? Har wants to say goodnight." She asked the hunter, who took one glance at her holding Harley before climbing down from the overturned truck. He pulled Harley into his arms the second he was on the ground, holding her close and rocking her gently. Beth's heart skipped a beat as she watched him, a usually stoic and intimidating man, cradling a child and holding her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. It was a side of him no one else in the group saw, and she felt honored that she got to witness it.

"Daddy?" Harley's voice was soft as she spoke up.

"Yeah Squirt?" He asked, his voice just as soft as his child's.

"Is this gonna be our new home? Can we stop runnin'?" Beth's heart broke at the question, she wasn't the only one who wanted a place to stay. It wasn't good for any of them to be running around uncertain of where they would be sleeping the next night, but Beth knew that Harley needed a place to call home. She deserved better than a life on the run. Daryl glanced up at Beth, his eyes bright blue in the moonlight.

"Yeah, this is gonna be our home." He said, his eyes shifting back down to Harley. "We ain't gonna run anymore. You're tired darlin', go back over there and go to bed."

"M'kay, night Daddy." Harley yawned, wrapping her thin arms around his neck and kissing his cheek before extending her arms to Beth. Taking her from Daryl, Beth gave Harley a small hug. The four year old kissed Beth's cheek lightly before mumbling, "Night Mama."

Both Daryl and Beth were frozen at her words as Harley wiggled out of Beth's arms and walked off back to the fire, leaving both of them speechless.

"I-I didn't tell her to call me that, that was the first time she's ever done that." Beth stuttered, shocked at what Harley had called her. Daryl sighed ,unsure how to respond, he picked at his food.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow, tell her not to call you that again." He said, looking up at Beth. "But, if somethin' ever happened to me, you'd take care of her. Right?"

"That's not even a question Daryl Dixon." Beth chuckled, setting her hand on his forearm and squeezing it gently. "Of course I would, but nothin's gonna happen. We're gonna be alright."

He nodded, letting one side of his mouth lift up to a half grin. Beth smiled back up at him before tugging on his arm to go towards the group.

"We should head back, don't want anyone to think we're screwin' around back here." She chuckled, pausing after she said it to bite her lip nervously before kissing him on the cheek. "Night Daryl."

For the second time that night, Daryl was stunned into speechlessness. His face burned from where Beth's lips touched his cheek and not for the first time, he had to repeat the mantra _she's seventeen she's seventeen she's seventeen _over and over until his heart was beating at a normal place and all non-platonic thoughts about the blonde went away.

Daryl sighed in frustration, running his hand over his face as he watched Beth sit down by the fire, pulling Harley's head into her lap. Those girls were going to be the death of him.

Clearing the cell block had been easier than they expected. It had gone smoothly, but every second Daryl was surrounded by walkers felt like a million years. Knowing that Harley was watching on the other side of the fence didn't help either, he was terrified that something would go wrong and she would have to watch everything fall apart.

"If something happens and I get bit, you cover her eyes and get someone to put me down immediately. Don't make her watch that." He had told Beth that morning, holding onto her arm a lot tighter than he should have. Beth didn't answer, she only nodded as her face went a few shades paler than normal.

Luckily, nothing had happened while they were clearing out the courtyard and they were hauling walker bodies outside to burn later. A thick layer of dust and grime covered everything and every so often there was an unmistakable blood stain on the floor or walls. Daryl made a mental note to see if he could find cleaning supplies on the next run. If they were going to be living there, he wanted it to be clean for Harley.

"Are we gonna sleep in the cells?" Beth asked as she dropped her bag on the dirty ground.

"I ain't sleeping in one of those cages." Daryl said, dragging a mattress out onto the catwalk. "I'm puttin' Har in one though, maybe it'll keep her in bed at night."

Beth chuckled, thinking about all the nights the girl had ended up practically on top of her. She knew Daryl was only joking about locking Harley up at night, but the thought still amused her. Picking up her bag again, she went into the closest empty cell and set the bag down on the floor before dusting the bed off. She would need to beat the dust out of the sheets, wash them too, before she found them worthy of sleeping on. That was a task for another day though, and at that moment she was too exhausted to do anything but kick off her shoes and fall asleep.

Like usual, the peacefulness didn't last very long. They had only been in the prison a few hours, Beth had been cleaning her cell while Harley sat on the bed chattering away and reciting her abc's over and over again when the sound of Rick shouting echoed through the halls.

Beth poked her head out of her cell, fearing the absolute worst: someone had died. She glanced over her shoulder at Harley, who was looking up at her curiously, and hoped that it hadn't been Daryl.

"Stay in here, alright? Don't come out unless I come and get you." She ordered, taking a step out just as Carl unlocked the door just in time for Rick and Glenn to run in, pushing a metal cart. Every awful situation Beth could think of flew out of the window when she saw her father on the cart, half of one of his legs missing and blood pouring from the wound. A sob escaped from her throat as they lifted him from the cart onto the bed.

"Is he gonna die?" Beth asked, her voice strained as she watched her father bleed out on the bed. Lori turned from the bed to her and wrapped her in a hug, cooing and soothing her as if she was three instead of seventeen. It didn't matter, because in that moment she felt like she was a kid again. Completely useless and weak, unable to do anything to help the situation.

"Of course not, we're gonna do everything we can. Will you watch his pulse for me, you can hold his hand while you do it." Lori said. Beth nodded, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand and moving to her father side so she could rest her fingers on his neck. It was then that she heard the commotion coming from the main area, some of the voices were unrecognizable but one she knew very, very well. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding to know that Daryl was still alive and fighting, that he was with them for another day. After a few minutes the voices faded away and Beth was focused completely on her father and his pulse beating slowly underneath her fingers. She squeezed his hand lightly and hummed a song for him, a hymn that he always loved to sing on Sunday mornings. She chuckled thinking about his loud, booming, and usually off-tone voice ringing through the church as Maggie, Shawn and her would bite their palms to hide their laughter.

"Beth let me take over, you go get some rest." Maggie said after she had sung the song over countless times. The blonde shook her head, keeping her ground even though her shoulder was sore from being in such an awkward position for so long and her knees ached from the hard concrete ground. "Bethany Grace, he would want you to take care of yourself, and right now what you need is sleep. I wasn't askin' ya, go."

Beth huffed, pulling herself up from the floor and pressing a kiss to her father's head before stalking off to her cell. She threw herself down on the bed, staring up at the rusted bottom of the top bunk for a few seconds before her vision went blurry with tears. She grabbed the pillow from beneath her head and held it over her face, silencing her sobs and she allowed herself to cry. She had already lost everything: her mother, her brother, her home. She couldn't bear the thought of her father being gone too. She cried until her chest ached and only stopped when she heard someone enter the cell, their footfalls quiet and deliberate.

"Beth?" Daryl's called softly. She sniffled, pushing the pillow away from her face, not caring that she most likely looked like a troll and a walker had a baby.

"Is anythin' wrong? Is my dad okay?" She asked, sounding more frantic than she meant to. She leapt from the bed, crossing her cell to get to the door only to be stopped by Daryl grabbing her shoulder.

"Everythin's fine. I was just checkin' on ya." He said, moving his hand from her shoulder to shove it into his pocket. "You doin' okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She assured, sniffling again and looking up into his eyes. She felt her throat tighten and her nose tingle, tell tale signs that she was about to cry. Letting out a mix between a cough and a sob she threw herself into Daryl's chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest as if he was the only thing tethering her to earth at that moment. "No I'm not."

He stiffened in her embrace, obviously not used to being held, but he didn't dare pull away as the blonde cried into his shirt. He let his hand drift up to rest on her back, rubbing it gently and hoping it would soothe her the way it soothed Harley when she got upset. Even though he knew he would probably regret it later, he pressed his lips to the top of her head, mumbling an '_it'll be alright'_ into her soft hair as unbeknownst to him, a curious four year old watched on from the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: whoo new update! hope ya'll like this, even though its terribly filler-y. Thank you so so SO much to everyone who has favorited or followed, your support it means the world to me. Also, thank you for the reviews, I read them all and they make me smile, keep them coming! Also, if anyone is interested in following me on tumblr my url is lost-in-the-roses so if you want to follow me you can :) Okay, I hope you enjoy!**

**p.s. this is un-beta'd so please excuse any mistakes that I might have missed. **

The silence that covered the prison was suffocating the day after the walker invasion. The loss of Carol, T-Dog, and Lori hung over everyone like a two ton weight, putting everyone in a quiet, somber mood. The funerals had been short, the fresh dirt covering the two graves that held Lori and T-Dog served as a reminder of what had taken place.

Daryl was hurting. His chest ached and his eyes burned with unshed tears for Carol, for his best friend. Clearing his throat to prevent himself from crying he set a cherokee rose on the cross Maggie had constructed to mark her grave since they had never found a body to bury. Once it was secure he rested his head in his hands, thinking about the time he had spent with her. He had hated Carol at first, thought she was too shy, too timid. It had surprised him that she had lasted past the initial outbreak, she seemed about as strong as tissue paper. Boy, was he wrong though. Carol surprised him and had turned into one of the strongest women he had ever known. She held her own until the very end, Daryl just wished that it didn't have to end.

He didn't even turn around when he heard the footsteps behind him, he had a pretty good guess on who it was, but it didn't take long for his suspicions to be confirmed when Beth sat down beside him. Their arms were pressed together as he sighed sadly. She rested her head against his shoulder as she drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around her knees.

"I wish I could find something to say, but I just don't have the words." She said, her voice solemn and soft. He shrugged, picking at the dirt underneath his fingernails.

"There's nothin' ya can say. It sucks losin' someone." He mumbled, hanging his head to stare at the ground. The duo sat in silence for a long while, listening to the sounds of the cicadas buzzing and walkers moaning on the other side of the fence.

"She was strong, I have no doubt she went down fighting." Beth whispered, shifting her hand to rest on his forearm before sliding down to where his hand was on the ground. She set her soft, petite hand on top of his, ghosting her fingertips over the back of it and sending goosebumps up his arm.

"Yeah." He agreed as his hand twitched slightly underneath hers. Beth's heart jumped at the thought of him turning it just enough for her palm to slide into his so their fingers could intertwine. She sighed and moved it back to her knees, tapping them anxiously as they sat in silence once more.

The sun had started to sink below the trees when Beth heard his stomach growl loudly, demanding food. Beth chuckled, tilting her head up to look at him with a smile before pushing herself up from the ground. She dusted off the back of her pants before turning to Daryl.

"Come on, I gotta go get supper goin', got mouths to feed." She said lightly, offering him her hand to help him up. He gave it an apprehensive glance for a moment before taking it and pulling himself up. Beth wanted to kick herself for the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach as his hand held hers, but little did she know that he was kicking himself for the exact same reason.

Daryl was _livid._ He would be the first to admit he had a short temper, like all Dixon's did, but the sight of Maggie Greene spanking his child the second he walked inside made him see red. Harley cried out in pain, holding her bottom as Maggie scolded her for something.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" He shouted, crossing the room quickly and getting in the older Greene's face. For half a second fear flashed over her face, but it quickly disappeared as she set her jaw and set her hands on her hips.

"I just got the baby to go to sleep and Harley was out here bein' loud and I asked her to be quiet while she played. She didn't, I spanked her." Maggie explained firmly. Daryl huffed, sending a glance to where Harley was sniffling a few feet away as the sound of the baby crying echoed through the cell block. Maggie groaned in frustration, before rubbing her temples slowly. The crying grew louder as Beth entered the room with a kicking, screaming bundle in her arms and a concerned look on her face.

"Everythin' alright in here?" She asked, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two of them, then down to where Harley was pouting beside Daryl.

"Just peachy." The hunter deadpanned, sending a glare to Maggie as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Harley, go with Beth and I'll give ya some candy later, sound good?"

"I ain't in trouble?" She asked, her eyes wide. Daryl sent a spiteful grin to Maggie before looking back down to his daughter.

"Nope, not at all. Now get, and you listen to Beth ya hear?" He asked, nudging her off in the blonde's direction as she followed her outside. Beth sent him a look over her shoulder as she walked out, silently begging him to take it easy on her sister. Too bad that wasn't going to happen.

"Who the hell do you think you are, hittin' my kid?" He fumed, throwing his hands in the air. His blood was boiling, and the fact that the peaceful mood he was in after sitting with Beth had been ruined only served to make him angrier.

"I didn't hit her, I spanked her because she was misbehavin', she can't get away with bein' loud like that!" She shouted, shoving her finger in his chest.

"I'm her dad and I decide how I discipline her, that ain't up to you." He seethed, turning on his heel with every intention to go somewhere and punch the wall until he wasn't angry anymore.

"Then what does that make Beth, her mom? Because she spanks her just as much as you do." Maggie said suddenly, her voice firm and cold.

"That's different, she's different." He mumbled, clenching and unclenching his fists in nervousness and anger.

"She's seventeen. You need to make sure that your daughter knows Beth can't be her mother, that she isn't." Maggie retorted. Daryl felt more anger pulse through his veins as he sucked in a breath before clenching his jaw.

"You need to mind your own damn business," He replied, taking another step towards the door. He stopped once he reached it and turned around to face Maggie again. "and Beth can be whatever she wants to Harley. It's her decision just as much as it is Harley's."

He didn't wait for her response before he left the room, and even if she had said something, the door slamming drowned it out.

As he walked outside around the courtyard, the more he simmered the angrier he got. He wanted to scream and shout in anger, to yell at the top of his lungs and swear until he lost his voice. He couldn't risk that though, walkers already surrounded the prison already, somehow sensing the life inside and gathered against the fencing in search of fresh meat. He didn't need to scream and attract any more, it would be stupid and reckless.

Instead, he chose to find a wall and punch it until he physically couldn't take it anymore. He stalked through the courtyard, clenching and unclenching his hands before turning to the nearest wall and hitting it with all his might. Pain radiated through his hand and up his arm, spreading through his shoulder. His chest heaved as he swung again, this time leaving a blood smear on the wall. He huffed, giving his bloody knuckles a glance before winding his arm up to hit the wall again.

"Daddy?" Harley's curious voice met his ear just as his fist was about to collide with the wall. He glanced over his shoulder to where she stood a few feet away. Her head was cocked to the side, her brown curls spilling onto her shoulder as she stood in front of Beth, who looked just as confused as Harley.

"Mama, why's Daddy bleedin'?" She asked, looking up to Beth. The blonde looked down to her before running her hand over her head with the hand that wasn't holding the baby.

"I don't know, that's a good question." Beth replied, raising an eyebrow at Daryl. He cleared his throat awkwardly, hiding his damaged hand behind his back. He found it strange that her presence calmed him down, he wasn't angry anymore, just ashamed that he had lost control so easily.

"'S nothin'." He said. Beth snorted, crossing the short distance between them and taking his hand in hers.

"Nothin' my foot, this is awful." She murmered, running her thumb over his knuckles. He winced as she pressed on the sensitive flesh. Sighing, Beth tugged on his hand, leading him back towards the cell block. "Come on, let's get Daddy to bandage your hand. You're lucky you didn't break it."

"It don't need to be bandaged, it'll be fine." Daryl huffed, trying to pull away but only served for her to grip his hand tighter.

"It'll get infected." She deadpanned, sending him a no-nonsense look over her shoulder. Daryl rolled his eyes but let her hold his hand as she led him and Harley back inside.

Later after Hershel had wrapped up his hand, giving him a disappointed look as he did so, Daryl retreated back to the cell he had reluctantly moved into after being stepped on while he was sleeping one too many times. His arm ached from punching the wall too hard and he wished he had accepted the ibuprofen Hershel had offered him. He sat on his bunk, resting his head in his hands. He shouldn't have acted so reckless, especially in front of Harley. How could he teach her to control her temper when he could hardly manage his own?

"Daryl, you okay?" Beth asked, entering the cell slowly. He looked up at her, finding her with a bowl in one hand and something else clasped tightly in the other one. "I brought you supper and some pain killers, Daddy said you didn't take any and that you needed to."

"Nah, save 'em for when we really need 'em, not when I'm being a dumbass." He snorted, taking the bowl from her as she sat down next to him on the bed. He glanced down into the bowl, looking at the strange concoction of what looked like rice stewed together with meat.

"Its tomato soup with rice and squirrel." Beth explained as he ate a spoonful. "It's the best I could do."

"It's good." He said, taking another bite. It wasn't a lie, it was a whole lot better than some of the things they had eaten on the road, but it didn't come close to a steak and potatoes dinner. Beth smiled at the compliment before looking at his hand.

"What happened that made you so angry?" She asked softly, gently taking his hand to inspect it. She held it tenderly, and Daryl hoped she couldn't see the goosebumps that appeared on his arm from her touch.

"Your sister spanked Harley." He said, letting his shoulders slump slightly. "She was bein' loud and was gonna wake the baby up." He looked to Beth, who was staring at the ground, nodding slowly.

"I'll talk to her, sort everything out at make sure she doesn't do it again." She said, giving his hand a squeeze. "Should I stop spankin' her too? I mean you are her dad, you should be the only one to punish her."

Daryl shook his head, squeezing her hand back. "You spank her whenever you see fit, you got my permission. She already sees you as her mother, and I don't have a problem with that if you don't."

Beth smiled brightly, looking up at him with her big blues. "I would love that."

**a/n: one last little note: saying "my foot" is the same as "my ass" but of course Beth couldnt say that in front of Harley. Im not sure if people say that outside of the south but if not, now you know. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: two updates in a week, man am I on a roll or what? I know I probably have said this a billion time but thank you to everyone for ya'll's continued support, it means the world to me, I honestly never thought people would even like this fic , let alone follow, favorite, review, recommend it, etc. Thank you, thank you, thank you :) So I hope you enjoy this next installment, I certainly liked writing it (it actually gave me chest pains but that's beside the point...) Anyways, who's excited for Daryl looking for Beth this Sunday? I know I am *starts flailing three days before the episode airs because the feels are already too much to handle* Okay enough of my rambling, here's the next chapter. **

Between her sister, Glenn, and Daryl being gone, Beth was a nervous wreck. She tried to keep calm, she really did, but her nerves got the best of her and that's how she ended up elbows deep in a bucket of water and soap suds scrubbing a t-shirt so hard her knuckles were raw.

"You're stress cleanin' Bethy." Her father chuckled as he walked into the courtyard, setting a hand on her shoulder. She sighed, wringing the shirt out as best she could before tossing it in the basket next to her along with the other wet clothes.

"I can't help it, they've been gone for two days. I gotta have somethin' to do or I'll go crazy." She muttered, dunking a pair of boxers into the bucket. She didn't want to think about who they belonged to, she just held back a cringe and started scrubbing. "Are the girls still sleepin'?"

"They're both out like a light, I don't think it's ever been that quiet before." Hershel laughed, sitting down next to Beth and setting his crutches down on the ground beside him. "You're changing the subject though. The whole cell block is spotless, and somethin' tells me it's your doing."

Beth let her shoulders drop, in reality she had been cleaning since before dawn and her body ached with fatigue, but she couldn't just sleep, not knowing that half of her family was in danger. "I'm just worried is all, I didn't mean to get carried away, I just needed to keep myself busy."

"I understand Bethy, your mother was the same way, she was in labor with you and still on her knees scrubbin' the floor. Said she didn't want to bring you home to a filthy floor, not that you would remember." He remembered fondly with a nostalgic smile. Beth couldn't help but smile, it was no secret she had gotten her stress cleaning tendencies from her late mother. Hershel shifted to face her more, taking the clothing from her hand and setting it aside. "But no matter how anxious you are, you need to take care of yourself Bethy, so you can take care of the girls properly. Now why don't you go join them and take a nap then get some lunch."

"But what if they get back I don't wanna miss-" She rambled, wringing her hands nervously as she eyed the gate.

"I promise I'll wake you if they get back, now go get some rest." He urged, giving her a traditional 'That-was-a-command-not-a-request' look. Sighing again, Beth stood up and wiped her wet hands on her jeans before pressing a kiss to her father's cheek.

She woke up a while later to unfamiliar voices coming from the main room along with the baby crying from her makeshift carrier beside her bunk. Beth rushed to get Judith and coddle her in an attempt to stop the crying. Walking out of her cell, she found Harley on the ground, coloring on the wall with a sharpie.

"Mama, there's strangers out there." The four year old said with wide eyes, dropping the pen on the ground and pushing herself up to stand. Beth furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, taking a few steps towards the common area. Sure enough, three men and a woman sat at the tables, picking at bowls of food. Adjusting her grip on the baby and taking Harley's hand with her free one she led them into the room, instantly feeling the stranger's gaze on her. She busied herself making a bottle for Judith, wanting nothing more than to get them food and go back to the safety of her cell.

"To be honest I never thought I'd see another baby." The woman said, coming up behind her and smiling down at Judith. "She's beautiful."

"Thanks." Beth replied, bouncing the baby as she started to fuss again.

There was a small pause before the woman spoke up again. "And how are you feeling?" She asked cautiously. Beth couldn't help but let her jaw drop at the question. She stammered for a second, gaping like a fish before answering.

"Oh, she's not mine." She shook her head, giving Judith the bottle.

"What about her, is she yours?" One of the men, the big burly one that held onto his hammer tightly, asked as he pointed down to Harley. Beth chuckled, nodding.

"Yeah, this one belongs to me." She ruffled Harley's hair affectionately as she answered. The group gave her a strange look, shifting between her and Harley.

"I hope this isn't offensive, but you seem a little young to have a child her age." The woman said carefully. Beth and Hershel couldn't help but laugh once she said that, which only earned them more funny looks.

"I'm not her biological mother, I kinda adopted her as my own." The teenager explained. "Or she adopted me, depends on who you ask."

The woman nodded, still giving her a confused look before turning away and walking back to her group. Beth gave them a curt nod before leading Harley into the other room. Beth fed and burped Judith, letting out a sigh of relief when she went back to sleep. Her fingers itched to do something as she looked around her cell, noticing the little messes that surrounded it. She was just about to strip her bed and remake it when Harley entered, dragging Spot the stuffed dog behind her.

"Will you color with me?" She asked, holding out the sharpie. Beth smiled, giving her bed a glance before sighing and turning back to the four year old.

"Of course, how about I teach you how to write some letters? Then you can show your daddy when he gets back?" She suggested, taking her little hand and walking to the open area outside the cells. Sitting on the ground, Beth drew a straight line across the floor with the sharpie. She couldn't help but smile to herself, who knew the world ending would get rid of rules like drawing on the walls, floors, and furniture?

She had gotten through explaining the letter E when she heard the door creak open and footsteps echo through the cell block. Beth let out a cry of relief as she pulled herself from the ground and all but ran into the main room, flinging herself into the arms of her sister.

"I was so worried." She mumbled into Maggie's shoulder, burying her face into her warm skin like she did when they were younger. Maggie chuckled, kissing her temple as she pulled away and turned to hug her father. Beth hugged Glenn quickly before making her way over to where Daryl stood with a man she didn't recognize.

"I'm glad you're safe." She said with a smile, setting her hand on his forearm for a second before letting it drop by her side. Daryl gave her a small nod, shifting to look around her and over to where Harley was still writing on the floor.

"Harley! Come 'ere, got someone who wants to see ya." He called, getting the little girls attention easily. She dropped the marker and slowly made her way into the main room, then her eyes landed on the man next to him and she broke out into a full sprint before launching herself into his arms.

"Uncle Merle!" She screamed, throwing her arms around his neck as he lifted her up, a wide smile on his face.

"Hey there little one, did ya miss my pretty face?" The man laughed, his voice deep and scratchy from what Beth guessed was from years of smoking. Harley giggled, nodding quickly before burying her little face into his neck.

"So this is the infamous older brother?" Beth asked Daryl, crossing her arms over her chest. Daryl snorted, shifting his weight as he watched Merle blow a raspberry on Harley's cheek.

"Infamous asshole's more like it." He said. "He's been wrapped around Har's finger since the day we got 'er. Even held her before I did."

Beth nodded slowly, glancing over to see Harley wiggling out of Merle's grasp and running over to her, taking her hand and pulling her towards Merle.

"Mama, Mama this is my uncle Merle!" She exclaimed, holding her arm up to Merle as if she was displaying him. Beth gave him a small smile, extending her hand out for him to shake. He smirked as he took her hand, pressing a kiss to the top of it. Her face flushed as he gave her a wink, eyeing her up and down.

"You didn't tell me about this sweet little thing, baby brother." Merle teased, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Beth tried to stop the cringe at what he was insinuating, but obviously she didn't do a good job at it when the older man started laughing at her obvious discomfort.

"Leave 'er alone Merle." Daryl snapped, huffing as he grabbed his brother's elbow and tugged him towards where Rick was standing, talking to Hershel. "Come on, we gotta talk to Rick. Harley, you behave for Beth."

Harley nodded enthusiastically, taking Beth's hand and pulling her back into the other room, going on about how good her little e's were. Beth could only chuckle, giving one more glance at Daryl over her shoulder before following the little girl.

Living in the apocalypse had changed Beth, there was no denying it, but the biggest thing the world coming to an end did was make her a light sleeper. Before, she could sleep through thunderstorms and tornadoes, but after the dead started walking she would wake up at the drop of a hat. That's why when she heard hushed voices and footfalls echoing through the cell block in the middle of the night, she was up and alert in an instant. Her hand rested on her knife that she kept beside her bed within easy reach, just in case.

Getting out of bed and keeping her knife tightly gripped in her hand, Beth creeped out of her room and followed the noise to the door, running into tables and just about everything else in the process. Once out the door and into the cool night air, it was easier to see in the moonlight. She made out two figures slipping out of the courtyard and making their way through the field to the cars. Beth furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, letting curiosity get the better of her as she followed them.

When she got to the gate separating the courtyard and field, she got a glimpse of a bulky object in one of the figures hands. A crossbow. It felt like her heart dropped to her feet as she broke out into a sprint across the grass down to where the truck had roared to life. Daryl must have heard her approaching because he whirled around when she got close enough, a mixture of shock and anger on his face.

"What the hell are you doin' down here?" He asked, throwing his crossbow down into the passenger's seat as Merle walked to the gate, ready to open it.

"I could ask you the same thing." Beth quipped, crossing her arms over her chest as she caught a glimpse of Harley asleep in the backseat, Spot tucked under her arm and a small pack beside her head. "Why is she in there?"

Daryl hesitated for a half second before leaning against the car with his hands in his pockets. "We're leavin'. Rick don't want Merle here, neither does Glenn or Maggie. Hell, just about everyone doesn't want 'im stayin'. So we're leavin'."

Beth felt her heart crack as her jaw hit the ground in shock. She couldn't find words, he couldn't leave. They all needed him, and she selfishly needed Harley. She gaped at him, huffing in frustration after a minute before settling on something to say. "No."

"What do ya mean no, you don't get a say." He scoffed, giving Merle a glance. He was standing impatiently, waiting to open the gate. Daryl held up one finger, signalling for him to wait before turning back to Beth.

"You can't just leave, we need you here." She countered as her voice rose a few octaves, setting her hands on her hips.

"No him, no me. He's the last family I got besides Harley, we gotta stick together." He explained, rolling his eyes as if it was the simplest explanation ever.

"But we're your family too!" Beth exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "Why don't you talk to Rick about it, ya'll can-"

"That ain't gonna work, no one wants 'im here. No him, no me." He repeated stubbornly.

"That's bullshit!" She shouted. "You're puttin' Harley in danger goin' out there just because your brother's an asshole and nobody likes him because of it. What about everythin' you said this winter, about how he was a dick and always dragged you down?"

"You don't tell me how to raise my kid." He snapped, shoving his finger in her face, just like he had done to Maggie a few days prior. "I do what's best for her-"

"And taking her away from a safe, secure place to follow your brother around God-knows-where is? That's not what's best for her Daryl." Beth scoffed, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

"I'm her dad, that's my decision." He retorted.

"And I'm her mom!" She said, stomping her foot.

"No you ain't! You aren't her mom and you ain't ever gonna be. I shoulda never let her keep doin' that. You're just a stupid kid playin' house." Daryl scoffed, fishing the keys out of his pocket and getting in the truck while Beth was left feeling like a hole had been punched through her chest. She felt her throat tighten and her eyes burn with tears while she practically shook with anger as Daryl slammed the door shut and started rolling away.

Letting her anger get the better of her, Beth screamed in frustration and rage, kicking the back on the car and shattering the tail light. "Fuck you Daryl Dixon!" She screamed, picking up a rock from the gravel driveway and chucking it at the car. It harmlessly bounced off the tailgate, leaving a small dent in the metal.

She waited until the one remaining tail light was out of sight before she crumbled to her knees on the rough ground, sobbing so hard her shoulders shook and her chest ached from the pain of losing her friend and her child.

***hides* please don't kill me. **

**(Reviews make for faster updates... just throwing that out there...) **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well, I should leave dramatic endings more often! I was completely blown away by the response I got (45 reviews, wow!) Anyways, I hope this chapter was worth the wait (or ya'll are going to come after me with fire and pitchforks...) And expect another update in a few days since I'm out of school this week and have devoted all of my time to writing... Okay, enough of my rambling. Onto the next chapter!**

"You sure got a firecracker baby brother, blondie's got bite." Merle chuckled once the prison disappeared in the trees behind them. Daryl clenched his jaw, gripping the steering wheel so hard his hands ached.

"Shut up Merle." He snapped, pressing harder on the gas. The faster they got away from the prison the better, he wanted every thought of it out of his mind. More specifically the blonde he had left behind after lying straight to her face.

Uncharacteristically, Merle really did shut up and after a while his loud snores filled the cabin of the truck, blending in with the sound of the truck humming underneath them. Daryl sighed, kicking himself for leaving. He couldn't go back, not after what had happened with Beth, and definitely not with Merle.

He didn't know how far they had gone by the time they had stopped mid-morning, all he knew was that he had a headache and he was about to shove a sock in Merle's mouth to get him to stop snoring. With an angry huff he smacked his brother in the stomach, waking him up with a loud groan.

"What the hell was that for?" He exclaimed, glaring at Daryl. He only shrugged in response, pressing harder on the gas.

"Daddy?" Harley asked sleepily, sitting up in the backseat and rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. "Where are we? And where's Mama?"

Daryl sucked in a breath, tensing up in anticipation for the meltdown that was about to occur. "Beth ain't your mama kid, and she ain't gonna be around anymore. We're goin' on an adventure with uncle Merle, how's that sound?"

He dared a look in the rear view mirror to see her staring down at her lap in confusion, the gears turning in her head as she tried to understand.

"B-but we're gonna go back," She said slowly, looking up at him with her big blues. "Back to Mama."

"No sweetheart, we can't go back to the prison." He sighed, watching as her eyes went wide and her little bottom lip trembled. Her face went red as she slapped her hand down on the seat.

"No! I want Mama!" She shouted as a tear rolled down her round cheek.

"She ain't your mom Harley!" Daryl snapped, slamming his hand down on the steering wheel, his head pounding even more from the yelling. Harley cried loudly in protest, sobbing as if the world was ending.

"She can be my Mama if she wants." Merle chuckled, thrusting his hips up and grunting. Daryl saw red and sent his brother a glare.

"She's seventeen." He said as he clenched his jaw. Merle only chuckled again, giving his brother a light slap on the arm. Daryl jerked away from his brother's touch, lurking forward in his seat when Harley kicked the back of it with an angry scream.

"Cut it out Harley." He warned, sending her a look in the rearview mirror. She huffed at him, sticking her tongue out and kicking the back of his seat again. Daryl sighed as Merle spoke up again.

"Didn't stop you from gettin' all cozy with 'er." He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, letting his knife-hand rest on the center console. "I bet you bumped uglies with the jailbait, didn't ya baby brother?"

"Shut the hell up Merle!" He shouted, just as Harley kicked his seat again, crying louder than before. "Harley Rose Dixon!" He yelled, turning around to face her, letting one hand leave the wheel to swat at her bottom.

Everything happened so fast after that. Merle was shouting, grabbing the wheel with his one hand as the truck spun and lurched out of control. Harley screamed even louder as the truck collided with something, sending all three of them in different directions in the small cab.

Daryl's head was spinning as everything went deathly silent. He coughed, hissing in pain as he wiped his hand over his forehead, groaning when he saw it covered in blood. He ignored the pain from his injuries as he turned to look in the back seat, finding Harley laying in the floorboard surrounded by a sea of broken glass and other debris.

"Shit," He breathed, forcing his door open and sliding out."Don't move Harley, I'm gonna get you out."

He ran around the destroyed truck as fast as he could as a deer hobbled off into the woods much better off coming out of the accident than they were. Stupid animals, walking out into the road. He walked around the tree that the car had crashed into, kicking it angrily as he passed before getting to the door and opening it gently. Harley was whimpering quietly, her little lip busted open and her arms covered in scrapes from the broken glass. His heart sunk to his feet as he pulled her from the vehicle, cradling her tightly to his chest.

"She okay?" Merle asked, getting out of the car and wiping the blood off of his face. Daryl sighed, nodding quickly.

"She'll be fine, not as bad as it could have been." He replied, wiping his thumb over her lip and kissing the top of her head. "Grab my bow, we gotta get movin'."

Merle nodded, passing him his crossbow and closing the door, kicking the tire and swearing under his breath. Daryl sighed, setting Harley down and slinging his bow over his shoulder as they started into the woods, away from the approaching sound of walkers.

They walked for awhile, all three of them silent as the adrenaline wore off and the pain from their injuries manifested itself completely. Daryl glanced down at Harley as they walked towards the sound of rushing water, noticing the slight limp in her step. He was about to stop and ask if she was okay when the trio exited the woods, stopping at the bank of a river. Merle glanced around, spotting a road sign up on a bridge before letting out a low whistle.

"You got us all the way 't Macon Darlina." He chuckled. "I had a buddy here, made the best damn crystal I ever had. Why don't we go on a little adventure, see if we can't find some."

"No." Daryl said, crossing his arms. "You know I don't want you doin' that shit around Harley. We need food and to get these cuts clean before they get infected."

Merle rolled his eyes, making his way up the hill to the bridge. "Officer Friendly and your blonde bitch made you soft Darlina, I think ya forgot who's in charge 'round here." He said over his shoulder. Daryl huffed, flipping his brother the bird behind his back as he followed Merle up the hill, just like he had done his whole life.

Harley was still limping as they walked through a neighborhood, following Merle on his stupid mission to get high. Daryl nudged her shoulder gently, getting her attention.

"You okay kid?" He asked, smoothing her hair out before licking his thumb and rubbing a smudge of dirt off of her face. She scrunched her nose up in disgust, leaning away from the offending thumb and wiping the saliva from her cheek.

"My side hurts." She said, setting her hand on her hip gingerly. Daryl sighed, he should've known that walking so much would've put a toll on her body.

"Think you can walk a bit farther? You can rest when we find what your uncle wants." He proposed, unintentionally sending Merle a glare. Harley sighed, nodding and reaching up to take Daryl's hand in hers.

The sun was starting its descent in the sky when Merle finally whooped loudly, kicking a door open.

"Would it kill ya 't be quiet? This place could be crawlin' with walkers." Daryl snapped as he let go of Harley's hand, ordering her to stay outside while they searched the house.

"You need to cut loose baby brother." Merle chuckled as they entered the house, rifling through the cabinets until he pulled out a plastic bag filled with white powder. "It ain't no crystal, but this shit'll get you nice and lit real quick."

Daryl snatched the bag out of his brothers hand, opening the bag and turning it over in one fluid motion, letting the contents spill out. "I told ya asshole, you ain't doing this shit around Harley."

"Hey!" Merle shouted, crossing the kitchen and pressing the tip of his knife into his neck. "Now you listen here, you don't get to walk around all high and mighty, thinkin' you can boss 'ol Merle around. Now are we gonna have a problem baby brother?"

Daryl clenched his jaw, pushing the knife away from his neck and taking a step away from him.

"No, just keep your shit away from my kid." He snapped, leaving the kitchen to go get Harley, trying to ignore how much he missed the high walls of the prison.

He found Harley right where he had left her, except she was laying down on the top step of the porch, her cheek pressed against the wood. Daryl chuckled, scooping her up and blowing a raspberry on her cheek. Usually she was a giggling mess when he did that, but instead of laughing he got a cry of pain. Daryl stopped, looking down at Harley.

"What's wrong?" He asked, setting her down on the porch and kneeling to her level. Harley whimpered, her bottom lip trembling as her eyes got glossy with tears.

"My side hurts Daddy." She said, sniffling a few times before she started crying. Daryl felt his heart sink as he watched her, nervously scanning the street for walkers.

"Okay sweetheart, let's get ya inside and I'll take a look at it." He said, ushering her inside and locking the door. He heard Merle moving around loudly in the kitchen, undoubtedly looking for more drugs. Rolling his eyes, Daryl sat down on the couch and made Harley stand in front of him, using his thumbs he wiped away her tears. He gently lifted her shirt up, only to drop it a moment later as bile rose in his throat.

The skin on her right hip was a deep purple surrounded by a sickly mixture of greens and purples. Daryl suddenly felt stupid for ignoring all the signs she had been giving him all day. The limping, the whining, hell she had even told him she was hurt and he only brushed it off. If he didn't have the title already, his ignorance had definitely won him the "World's Worst Father" award.

"Shit." He mumbled, rubbing his hands over his face. Not for the first time since the apocalypse started, Daryl felt helpless. He had no idea what to do, or how severe the injury was. He stood up from the couch and paced in front of it as Harley watched on with teary eyes.

"I'm hungry too Daddy." She whimpered, holding her stomach. Daryl sighed, of course he had forgotten about food too. He stopped pacing then, nodding slowly.

"Okay, I'm gonna have to go and find some, you gotta stay here with Uncle Merle." He said, walking to the couch and adjusting one of the dusty pillows on one end. "Why don't you lie down for a while, rest your hip."

Harley nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as she climbed onto the couch, resting on her side. Daryl felt his heart crack a little more when her shirt rode up and he caught a glimpse of her bruised side again. Sighing, he covered her with a dingy blanket, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Love ya kid, I'll be back in a bit." He mumbled into her skin before pulling away and grabbing his crossbow from where he dropped it earlier. He started to the front door, calling to Merle over his shoulder letting him know where he was going. He only got an mumble in response from his brother as he walked out of the house.

Once he was a safe distance away from the house he lashed out, punching and kicking at a walker, pushing it away whenever it got too close. He was stupid. Why did he have to give up the prison for his dumbass brother? And to make it worse, Harley had gotten hurt because he couldn't tell his brother no. With an angry huff Daryl plunged his knife into the head of the walker, giving it another kick as he walked by.

He searched the neighborhood until the sun had gone down, letting all of his anger out on any walker that crossed his path. The houses had been picked clean, but he did manage to find a can of green beans, tomato soup, a bottle of children's ibuprofen for Harley, and a small squirrel. It wasn't much, but his child wouldn't have to go to sleep with an empty belly, and for that he couldn't complain.

When he got back to the house he was relieved to see Harley asleep on the couch, but the relief was quickly replaced with rage when he saw his brother on the other end of the couch, needle in his arm as gave him a dopey smile.

"Well hey there little brother." He chuckled, waving lazily as he pumped more drugs into his veins. Daryl grit his teeth, crossing the room and tossing what was left of the meth into the corner of the room, it hit the wall with a crash, making Harley stir.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Daryl seethed. "I told you to keep that away from her, you want her growin' up how we did?"

"She was asleep! No harm, no foul." Merle brushed it off, like he always did. Daryl saw red, that was the last straw.

"You still shot up two feet away from my daughter, I'm sick of your shit Merle." He snapped, throwing his bag over his shoulder and picking Harley up from the couch, careful to not bump her hip.

"Where do you think your going?"Merle yelled, grabbing his arm and yanking him back. Daryl jerked his arm out of his brother's grasp, his hand going to his knife defensively.

"Back where I belong." He said, holding his chin up defiantly. He had been pushed around by his brother for over thirty years, and he wasn't going to take it any longer. Merle chuckled humorlessly, swaying on his feet as he staggered towards him.

"You think you belong in that jail with Officer Friendly?" He laughed before holding up an accusing finger. "Ain't nobody gonna be there for you when things go bad, ain't nobody gonna care for you except for me. I can't go back there, they took my hand, I tried to kill that black bitch!"

"You cut your hand off yourself, stop blamin' them. You lost your hand because your a simple minded piece of shit!" Daryl snapped, turning on his heel. He heard Merle yell in anger at his words, then he was tugged back by his shirt, which ripped as Daryl fell to the ground. He held Harley tight to his chest to keep her from taking the impact as he braced himself on his free hand. He felt cool air on his bare back as Merle staggered away in shock. Daryl fumbled with the torn fabric in a weak attempt to hide the scars that covered his back.

"I-I didn't know he was-" Merle stuttered.

"Yeah, he did. He did the same to you, that's why you left first." Daryl cut him off, gathering the things that he fallen out of his bag.

"I had to man, I would've killed him otherwise." The older man said, backing away another step as Daryl stood up, dusting Harley off. It was an excuse, an insincere reason for him leaving. He had heard them all his life.

"You know, I might be the one walking away," He said once he had opened the door, letting the cool night air into the house. "but you're the one that's leaving, again. Get yourself together, you know where we'll be."

And without another backward glance, Daryl set out into the night with the only other person he'd need in the world, headed back to his home.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey friends, so I know I said on tumblr that I was going to take a hiatus on writing this after the disappointment that was Sunday's mid season finale (I still have faith that Beth will come back, Beth Greene delusional squad who's with me) Anyways, technically I did take a four day hiatus from writing, before I decided that I needed to keep Beth's memory alive and continue writing. So, here's the next chapter, feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you think. **

**p.s I started a new TWD/Boondock Saints crossover fic with a Beth/Murphy pairing that takes places after 5.08, so you should go check it out, just throwing that out there... okay enough shameless self promotion, next chapter.**

Daryl was exhausted. He had walked all night and long into the morning carrying Harley when he finally stopped, opening the can of green beans for them to share. She wrinkled her nose at the vegetables, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"Yuck." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Daryl rolled his eyes, pushing the fork closer to her.

"Eat 'em, they'll make ya big and strong." He said, nudging her slightly. Harley looked up at him with a big smile before glancing down at her beans.

"Big and strong like you?" She asked, cocking her head to the side and brushing her tangled hair out of her face. Daryl chuckled, nodding.

"Yeah, just like me. Now eat up, we'll be back home before dinner if we can get a move on." He said, scooping the last few green beans out of the can for her. She ate them quickly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand when she was done and standing up. Daryl tossed the can aside, taking a swig from their water bottle before giving it to Harley. "Let me look at your hip, see if it's doin' any better."

Harley sighed, lifting up one side of her shirt to show him the bruise. It had only gotten worse, swelling and turning an even more sickly shade of green and purple. Daryl hung his head, guilt consuming him. He should have never left the prison, Beth had been right. Taking Harley out only put her in danger and had gotten her hurt. He was an idiot.

"Come on, let's get home." He said, clearing his throat and spinning around so Harley could climb onto his back. Once she was secure Daryl started walking again, knowing that with every step he took he was a step closer to his home.

When they finally approached the prison in the afternoon, Daryl immediately knew something was wrong from the loud gunshots. He took off running through the trees, only to find Rick outside the fence struggling against walkers while another group fired into the prison. Daryl somehow managing to shoot his crossbow with Harley on his back. Rick's eyes got wide as the walker slumped against him then fell to the ground as Daryl ran to him, yanking the bolt from it's head.

"What's going on?" Daryl asked, only to be cut off by a van's running through the main gate. They watched in horror as the van opened and walkers stumbled out, groaning and hissing loudly. Rick swore as he started running for the hole in the fence as Daryl followed, scrambling for the gun he kept in his bag.

"Hershel's in the field." He explained breathlessly as they forced themselves through the tiny hole. Daryl exhaled loudly, they could never have one good day. Bullets started flying around their feet and Daryl looked up to see a man in one of the guard tower. Gritting his teeth, Daryl raised his gun and fired, getting the man down in a few shots. He kept running as he felt hot tears hit the back of his neck as Harley cried into his neck. He quickly shifted her around to his front, shielding her with his body as best he could.

"You get her inside, I'll get Hershel!" Rick yelled as they entered the field and ran straight into the crossfire. Daryl's heart was pounding as he ran, firing the gun every so often at a walker as the shots from the Governor's group slowed. Daryl looked over his shoulder to see them retreating into the woods. Of course, they scare them, ruin their defenses, then leave.

Finishing the trek to the courtyard he set Harley down gently as Rick closed the gate. Hershel gave him a curt nod as they quickly made their way into the cellblock where Daryl could finally check on Harley. He looked her over, checking her for scrapes or scratches. When he was sure she hadn't been hurt he pulled her into a hug, burying his face into her dirty hair in relief.

He almost missed the strangled sob that came from the other side of the cellblock, and when he glanced up all he caught was a flash of blonde hair as Harley was pulled from his arms. Beth hugged her tightly, pulling away in shock when the little girl yelped in pain. Shooting him a questioning look, the blonde set Harley down and surveyed her, taking in the busted lip and scrapes from the car crash. Then she gently pushed up Harley's top and saw the bruise.

Daryl didn't know it was possible for someone's face to get so red so fast. Before he could even explain himself Beth was standing chest to chest with him, an accusing look on her face looking as if she could spit nails.

"What the hell did you do?" She yelled, and Daryl swore he saw fire in her eyes. He had never been so scared of someone who was about as intimidating as a bunny rabbit. Now though, Beth Greene could have scared the Devil himself.

"Got in a car wreck, it ain't as bad as it looks." He mumbled, taking a step back. Beth scoffed, taking another glance back at Harley.

"Not as bad as it looks?" She laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, you sure knew what was best for her, getting in a fucking car wreck!" She yelled, pushing him backwards as her eyes got glossy. That's when he noticed how bloodshot and puffy her eyes were, it was obvious she had been crying.

"Enough Beth, and you watch your mouth." Hershel scolded, setting a hand on her shoulder and gently pulling her backwards. "Yelling at him isn't going to help Harley, why don't you go with me to take a look at her, see what we can do?"

Beth huffed, sending Daryl another death glare as she marched out of the room, taking Harley with her. Daryl sat down at one of the tables, resting his head in his hands. Of course she was pissed at him, he was surprised he thought she would react any differently.

"Hey pookie, glad you're back." Carol said sweetly, setting her hand on his shoulder. He grunted, glancing up at her. She took that as an invitation to sit down next to him, placing a bowl of stew on the table. "Thought you'd be hungry."

"'M fine." He mumbled even though his stomach ached from hunger. "How'd that shit storm start?"

"The Governor, obviously, just started shooting. Killed Axel, shot him right in the head." She said quietly, looking down at her hands. Daryl sighed, the last thing they needed was to start fighting the living along with the dead.

"No one else got hurt?" He asked, looking at his friend. Carol chuckled, shaking her head.

"Beth scraped her elbow diving for cover, but other than that we're fine. Just a little spooked is all." She said, sending him a small grin. He snorted, resting his face in his hands again. "She was crushed when you left. You didn't hear this from me, but she was up all night crying after you left, last night too."

"Great, just the thing I wanted 't hear." He deadpanned, exhaling loudly. He heard Carol chuckle but before she could respond another voice.

"Daryl, can you come here so I can look at you for a minute?" Hershel asked. Daryl huffed, standing up and crossing the small area to where the older man was standing.

"How is she?" He asked in a low voice once he reached him. Hershel chuckled, patting Daryl on the shoulder as he led him to his cell.

"Depends on who you're asking about, son." He gave Daryl a knowing smile before pulling out a bottle of peroxide and a paper towel. "Harley bruised her hip bone, worse than a normal bruise but if she keeps off of it she'll be fine. Beth on the other hand, she's usually very level-headed and rational. Probably the most out of all of my children, really. Despite that, I don't think I've ever seen her this angry before."

Daryl snorted as Hershel started to dab at the cut on his head, wincing at the sting. "Can I see her? Where is she?" The younger man asked as Hershel situated a bandaid over the cut.

"Again, that depends on who you're askin' about." Hershel chuckled. "Harley's in her room restin' and knowin' Beth she's probably there too, watchin' her like a hawk. I wouldn't advise tryin' to reason with her now though, she's mad as a hornet."

Daryl sighed, setting his head in his hands. He was an idiot.

"Now I know better than to meddle too much in my daughter's business, but being her father I have to ask," Hershel spoke up again, making Daryl look up from his hands. "What did you say to her that made her so upset?"

Daryl chewed on his cheek, not knowing where to start. "I was an ass, said anythin' I could that would get her away. I thought I was doin' what was best for Harley, but I was wrong. Didn't mean any of it." He admitted. Hershel nodded knowingly, setting his hand on Daryl's shoulder.

"We're only human Daryl, I've made my fair share of mistakes raisin' my kids, and you're going 't make a lot more, so will I. That's okay, but because of your wrong decision you've hurt both your little girl and my little girl, and that's not. The thing about makin' mistakes Daryl, is that once you make 'em, it's your job 't fix them."

The hunter nodded solemnly, looking down at the dirty floor of the cell. "Alright, but I'm not sure she's gonna want 't listen to me right now."

"I reckon so, why don't ya start with Harley. Beth'll simmer down in the next few days, you can talk to her then I suppose." Hershel said, giving Daryl's shoulder another pat before standing up and grabbing his crutches. Daryl followed him out, giving him a nod in thanks before going separate ways.

Finding his way to Harley's cell he found her on the bed, sleeping with her head on Beth's chest. Beth's eyes were closed, but from the slow movement of her fingers over Harley's back told Daryl that she was awake and was probably searching for rest just as much as the little girl was. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of the two of them together, and despite his better judgement he stood and watched them for a minute, not wanting to ruin the peaceful atmosphere.

When he shifted his weight to lean against the bars of the cell door Beth's eyes popped open and darted to where he stood. They instantly narrowed when they landed on him, glaring at him as she gently sat up so she wouldn't wake Harley.

"What do you want?" She asked lowly as she crossed the tiny cell, blocking his view of Harley with her body. To Daryl she resembled a mama lion protecting her cub, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

"Was comin' to talk to Harley, check on her." He answered, holding his hands up in surrender. Beth huffed, eyeing him up and down before sticking her nose in the air.

"She's sleeping right now, you can talk to her when she wakes up." She said coldly, turning on her heel to go back to the bed. Daryl reached out and took hold of her upper arm, forcing her to spin around.

"I wanted 't talk to you too," He mumbled. "Wanted to say that I was sorry. Shouldn'ta said what I said, didn't mean any of it."

Beth ripped her arm from his grasp, looking at him with fire in her eyes. "I don't forgive you. Now stay away from me you stupid asshole." She seethed, turning again and settling down in bed next to Harley again, leaving Daryl standing helplessly in the doorway, just like he had left her standing in the driveway just days before.


End file.
